𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 (𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒)

~72 CONFRONTATION 💜

🇭 🇦 🇱 🇮 🇲 🇦 🇭 '🇸 🇵 🇴 🇻

°HALIMA BELLO•

I waited so long to sneak into his room. The house has been tense ever since last night or rather, this morning, around 1 AM. I was mentally preparing for my dad's reaction, but so far, nothing had happened.

Finally, the chance came. His door was open, so I slipped in like a burglar, locked it quietly, and turned to face Roman. He looked at me, his expression unreadable. Normally, I could tell what he was thinking, but today was different.

"I'm really sorry Dad yelled at you because of me..."

"It's not your fault," he chuckled softly, then looked away. "It's not like you started this whole thing. You should know by now that your dad goes a little crazy when it comes to me."

Yeah, it definitely felt weird.

"I had a good time going out with you last night." But honestly, I kinda wish I could erase everything that happened. There's this nagging feeling that he's upset with me, but maybe I'm just overthinking it.

When he smiled, it really lifted my spirits. He seemed genuine.

"Too bad you didn't give me that lap dance last night," he joked with a smirk.

That's Roman for you, always ready with a line to make you forget your worries, even if it was just for a bit. But then we both heard some loud noise that totally caught us off guard.

I freaked out, while he jumped up from the couch and ran out, leaving me there confused and a bit lost. Before I could figure things out, he came rushing back in throwing me off guard, meanwhile i stared at him confused.

"It's not a big deal," he said, clearly noticing my concern, since my expression gave it away. Anyone paying attention could see it plainly.

I inhaled deeply.

It was clear he had no intention of elaborating further.

"I believe your father is searching for you."

That single remark caught me off guard and drained every ounce of tranquility I had at that moment. I blinked twice, keeping my eyes locked on him as my imagination spiraled out of control. I felt doomed; I wished the ground would simply open up and swallow me whole. It had to be about last night's incident.

"You have to find a way back to your room," he said, his gaze fixed on me. Did he truly think I could just vanish? I remained silent, slowly retreating a few steps, realizing it was now or never. I had to confront him and get this over with. My mind was blank; I couldn't anticipate what would unfold next, especially after his reaction the previous night had terrified me. I had never felt such fear directed at my father; the disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable.

______________________🖊️

As I heard the footsteps, I rose from the bed, fully aware it was him approaching. I quietly rehearsed the lies in my head and took a deep breath. My hands shook uncontrollably, overwhelmed by fear, restlessness, and anxiety, all consuming feelings.

The moment the door creaked open, my eyes snapped shut without my consent, and I found myself quietly asking Allah for forgiveness for all the sins that felt beyond measure.

"Halima, where have you been...?"

"I've been in my room," I answered reflexively.

It dawned on me right away that I had accidentally shot myself in the leg.